'Animeals' saves lives, touches hearts

For almost a year, Genevieve Johnson, 91, had to choose between feeding her pets or feeding herself.

"My rent was so high that I only had about $100 left out of my check to live on. At the time I had two kitties, so I bought their food before I could even begin to think to eat anything," she said. "It was really hard because by the time I paid for kitty food it left me very, very short. So I was eating things like oatmeal three times a day. Now I hate oatmeal.

"I just struggled along. ... You can't imagine the nights I would spend praying and trying to find a way out. ... Then, somehow or another, I can't remember exactly how it came about, I got in touch with Carole Beaton, and she began to bring me kitty food, which I believe saved my life and the kitties' lives, too."

Beaton, a retired school teacher and co-founder of the nonprofit Bless the Beasts, coordinates the local Animeals program, which serves an average of about 75 people and more than 150 dogs and cats from McKinleyville to Fortuna. Early every Monday morning, Beaton and volunteer Carol Ross get together to pack dog and cat food into bags to be distributed to local senior centers and individual homes. Part of the food is distributed through the Home-Delivered Meals program -- similar to Meals on Wheels -- run by Humboldt Senior Resource Center, and the rest is personally delivered by Beaton and Ross.

"We just have a ball. We take off and just yammer away and have a great time, so it's a really fun morning," Beaton said.

The program costs "a bare minimum" of $200 per week, not counting donations of food from other sources.

"Donations really fill in a lot. They can make things last a lot longer. We get donations from private parties and from Myrtle Avenue Pet Center. They've given us tons of samples, which are nice because those are what we use for treats," Beaton said.

Beaton and Bless the Beasts co-founder Alice Millington started the local Animeals program -- which is part of a nationwide effort -- seven years ago, after attending a conference organized by Best Friends Animal Society. Things went well for most of a decade, but then about a year ago the future of the program began to look bleak.

"For years, the PetCo Foundation donated most of the food," Beaton said. "Then, about a year and a half ago, the Foundation -- not the local PetCo -- decided to change how they did stuff. ... So it looked like we were going to have to quit. We were just broken-hearted. I put notes in all the clients' boxes saying April 15 was going to be the last day.

"Then Virginia Bass stepped in. She went for a ride with one of the Meals on Wheels drivers, and she met a lady who told her Animeals was going to stop. And Virginia said, 'No way! I'm going to raise money to help.'

"At first I thought, 'Yeah right.' You know, I'm kind of cynical. Well, I was wrong. She and her husband, Matthew Owen, hit people up and got donations through Wells Fargo and kept us going for almost eight months. And then the Banfield Charitable Trust gave us $2,500 that got us through those times when we thought 'What are we gonna do?'"

"It was a complete miracle for us," said Ross.

"It was like a miracle," Beaton agreed, "because we thought, 'We're done. It's over.' Because I'm not a good fundraiser. I can't ask people for stuff. It's not part of my personality. But Virginia and Matthew can ask anybody. ... They have raised more than $10,000, enough to keep us going for a year and a half. And it's not because I asked her. She just said, 'This program can't quit!'"

Bass said her involvement started when she rode with "a wonderful driver named Sandy Hazel" who told her about Animeals. "She said, 'It's really sad, because this program lost its funding and a lot of folks will have to get rid of their animals.' That's the part that got me, because I know that these animals, to a lot of these people, are the only family they have. ...

"I've always had pets, and they give you unconditional love. They're there for you all the time. There's something about the spirit of an animal, the connection between animals and humans," Bass said.

"When I went to visit these folks, they were so proud to introduce me to their animals, who were basically their family members. And the fact that they may have to make a choice between feeding their animals and feeding themselves -- or get rid of their animals -- just seemed unacceptable to me."

(Bass and her husband currently have three pets: a dog named Lady, who is a cross between a basset and a beagle -- a "bagel," as Bass calls her -- and two cats, Rosco and Lily.)

"At first we started by just sending out 'panic' emails to some of our friends who we thought would be supportive. And we'd pick up $100 here, $100 there. My husband works for Wells Fargo in the mortgage division, and at the time they had a program where with every loan that was closed the individual who got the loan could designate $300 from Wells Fargo to a charity of their choice. And so we were able to direct a lot of those donations to Animeals as well," Bass said.

"What this program really needs is a long-term plan for funding. But, while we're trying to come up with something that's going to be more perpetual, we decided to throw together a fundraiser at our house -- I think it was last November. By using our invitation list, we brought in close to $9,000 or $10,000, which gives us time to find something more permanent. Perhaps we'll have an annual fundraiser," she said.

"So, that would be my grand plan if I could do that. Just have a fun event aimed at raising maybe $15,000. ... I want to call it 'The Fur Ball.' ... You know, it's a lot of work, but this community is so giving. Maybe we could coordinate with another group, like the Humane Society, and do a larger event."

However the funding comes about, Eureka resident Victoria Cignetti says the program "is really life-changing. ... It has given me so much. ... It's amazing how many people are affected and how many people are blessed by it," she said.

Cignetti got her cat, Bella, through Bless the Beasts 11 years ago, and she will celebrate their birthdays on the same day later this month. "It was such an amazing gift," she said. "Without Bella, my life wouldn't be the same. ... Older people who don't have anything or anyone, when an animal comes into their lives, they have something to care for, and something to care for them.

"Bella knows when I'm in pain and comes over to lick the tears off my cheeks. ... She's been with me through thick and thin, and if it weren't for this program, my life would not be as full and entertaining and love-filled as it is. ... My level of gratitude is just immeasurable ... I could not say 'thank you' enough."

Johnson echoed the same feeling, saying, "Animeals is one of the most worthy programs I've ever heard of. I just hope and pray that it goes on forever."

To donate dog and cat food, treats and other pet supplies, contact Beaton at 845-9748 or caroleb@arcatanet.com. To sign up for Home-Delivered Meals and Animeals, contact the Humboldt Senior Resource Center at 443-9747 ext. 1221.